Spotting gun



June 28, 1960 E. w. BUSH ETAL SPOTTING GUN Filed March 16, 1959 E B a.

w M 3 4 4 6 7 .I. 5 7 7 6 m r INVENTORS' ELMER W BUSH .MYNE N. BROCKUnited States Patent 1 1,942,191 SPO'ITING GUN Elmer w. Bush and JayneN. Brock, both at Y 6915 Landis Avel, Carmichael, Calif.-

fluids, of the kind found in cleaning and dyeing plants,

to clothes and fabrics.

It is an object of the invention to provide a spotting gun which enablesa spotter in a cleaning and dyeing establishment to apply convenientlyeither steam orair, or a combination of either steam or air and aspotting fluid, to clothes, fabrics, rugs, carpets, etc.

It is another object of the invention to provide a readilymanipulatedspotting fluid applicatonwhich re'quiresthe use of but onehand to hold and operate the device.

It is still another object'o'f the invention to provide a spotting gunwhich not only breaks the spotting fluid into a fine spray but whichalso directs the spray in an accurate fashion.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a generallyimproved spotting gun.

Other objects, together with the foregoing, are attained in theembodiment described in the following description and shown in theaccompanying drawing in which the figure is a view partially inelevation and partially in section of a spotting gun of the invention.

While the device is susceptible of numerous physical embodiments,depending on the environment and requirements of use, substantialnumbers of the herein shown and described embodiment have been made,sold and used and have performed in an outstandingly successful manner.

All cleaning and dyeing plants of any size are provided with a source ofboth pressurized air and steam, air and steam being used by the spotterin conjunction with spotting fluids of various kinds to effect spotremoval. These fluids are preferably of the kinds described in ourcopending applications Serial No. 652,370, filed April 12, 1957, andSerial No. 669,922, filed July 5, 1957, now abandoned, although the useof our spotting gun is not limited thereto.

In the figure, the spotting gun, generally designated by the numeral 6,includes a pressure line 7 connected to a flexible hose 8 leadingdownwardly to a conventional, widely-used apparatus (not shown) whichpermits the operator, or spotter, by foot pressure on an air pedal orsteam pedal, to discharge at will either air or steam through thepressure line 7.

The portion 9 of the pressure line 7 adjacent the hose 8 issubstantially linear; but adjacent the upper, free or distal end of thepressure line the line is provided with a curved or arcuate portion 11terminating in an open end 12. An interior counterbore 13 is a small buthighly important feature since it eliminates the formation of drops andthus obviates any dripping or blowing of fluid in drop form onto thefabric being treated. A beveled shoulder 14, forming a part of thecounterbore, has been formed to be of especial value in eliminating theformation of drops.

An annular constriction 16 is formed in the pressure line adjacent theopen end 12 to form a throat 17. The flow of gas, whether it be air orsteam, produces in conjunction with the constriction, by well-knownprinciples, a reduced pressure adjacent the mouth 21 of a conduit 22through which is conducted the spotting fluid.

The spotting fluid is contained, until used, in a suitable reservoir(not shown), such as gallon jug or can,

'ice

and flows through a flexible hose 26 into a fluid line 27. The fluidline- 27 is substantially linear, as at 28, for a portion of its lengthand is; in spaced and parallel relation with respect to the portion 9 ofthe pressure line 7, the lines being held in this condition by an upperdisk 31 and a lower disk 32. a j Each of the disks is provided withsuitable apertures 33 and 34fthrough which. the lines extend and atleast the pressure line is secured to the disks by suitable fasteningwashers'36. I

Preferably, each of the disks is also perforated by other openings, notshown, to permit" cooling air to pass by convectiont-hrough the hollowinterior 38 of a handle 39 capped at its opposite ends by the disks 31and 32, thereby helping to keep the handle cool.

The upper arcuate portion 11 of the pressure line 7 and an upper arcuateportion 41 of the. fluid line 27 are secured to the body 42 or barrel ofthe gun 6.

The body 42 is generally cylindrical as at 43 although it assumesadjacent its forward end a tapering or conical configuration as at 44.The longitudinal axis of the cylinder and the cone is substantiallycoincident with the axis of the counterbore 13 of the pressure line 7 soas to provide the operator with a familiar gun-sight type of aim,enabling the operator accurately to direct the spray emerging from theopen end 12.

The cylindrical portion 43 of the body is provided with a cylindricalbore 46 ending at its forward end in a flatly tapering wall 47 servingas a valve seat against which a forward O-ring 48 is urged.

Adjacent the forward end of the valve seat 47 there is furnished achamber 51 connected by a channel 5-2 to the exterior conduit 22.

The forward O-ring 48 is mounted on the nose 54 of a valve stem 56translatably mounted in a plug closure 57 threadably secured in theafter end of the hollow cylindrical portion 43. Urging the forwardO-ring 48 against the valve seat 47 is an annular flange 61 aflixed tothe valve stem 56 adjacent the nose 54.

The flange 61, in turn, is urged forwardly by a helical spring 62hearing at its after end against a washer 63 encompassing the stem. Thewasher 63 serves, in turn, to urge an after :O-ring 64 against a taperedwall 66 in the plug 57, the O-ring 64' permitting translation of thevalve stem but preventing the escape of fluid located inside the bore46.

Opening of the valve is effected by movement of the stem 56 in thedirection indicated by the arrow 71. A lever 72 is provided adjacent itsupper portion 73 with an aperture 74. The walls of the aperture 74loosely encompass the after end of the valve stem 56 extendingrearwardly from the after face 76 of the plug 57 so as to give somefreedom of motion. An acorn nut 77 threaded on the end of the stemrather loosely confines the upper portion 73 of the lever. Thus, whenthe lower end 81 of the lever is urged in the forward direction of thelower arrow 82, pivoting occurs about the fulcrum provided by the wall83 of the opening 84 in the extension arm 85 and the valve stem is urgedrearwardly. The arm 85 depends from a ring 86 clamped by the plugshoulder 80. For comfort, a sleeve 87 is mounted on the lower end of thelever 72 and provides a convenient surface against which the operatorsthumb can be pressed while holding the handle 39 in the palm andfingers.

As can be seen by reference to the members shown in outline, whichcorrespond to the valve in open position, communication exists inopen-valve position between the cylindrical bore 46 and the chamber 51.The bore in turn is in communication through the orifice 91 with thefluid line 27.

Consequently, when air or steam under pressureis fed into the pressureline 7 by reason of the operatorsstepping on the air or steam pedal, apressure less than atmospheric is produced adjacent the mouth 21 of theconduit 22. This situation causes the spotting fluid to flow upwardlythroughthe fluid line into the bore 46, past the valve seat and into thechamber 51, from which location it flows through the conduit22 and intothe; stream o f air or steam in-the pressure line. As the fluid emergesfrom the conduit mouth, the fiuidis blasted by the swiftly mov- V f'inggas and is turned into a fine mist or spray which is the spot. a

It can therefore be seen that we have provided a spot- 1 tinggun'whichis not only convenient to manipulate but which is also highlyflexible in operation.

What is claimed is: a A s'pottinggun comprising a pressure lineextending from a source of pressurized gas, said pressure line being 4 7linear for a portion of its length and arcuate throughout its distal endportion, said pressure line having an annular construction thereinadjacent said distal end, a fluid line extending from a source ofspotting fluid, said fluid line having a linear portion, and an arcuateportion said linear portion being in parallel relation to said linearportion of said pressure line, said fluid line connecting with saidpressure line adjacent said constriction, a handle encompassingsaid'linear portions of said lines adjacent said arcuate portions ofsaid lines, and a valve interposed V in said fluid line and mountedonsaid arcuatedistal end portion of said pressure line, said valveincluding a body portion securedto said pressure line and a leverextending in spaced-parallel relation to said handle.

I References Cited in theifile of this patent- UNITED STATES-PATENTS(487,623 Lockhart Dec'. 6, 1892 1,427,495 Norris Aug. 29, 1922.-1,504,851 Wren Aug. 12, 1924 1,563,123 Wade Nov. 24, 1925 1,665,224Shields Apr. 10, 1928 2,619,821 Fink ;j Dec. 2,1952

